Royals option Christian Colon to minors to make room for Jayson Nix

To make room for the arrival of infielder Jayson Nix, the Royals optioned backup utility man Christian Colon to Class AA Northwest Arkansas. Like Aaron Crow, similarly shipped out this week, Colon can rejoin the big-league team on Tuesday.

Colon will still be eligible for the playoff roster – if the Royals reach October.

The Royals claimed Nix, 31, off waivers from Pittsburgh on Thursday. The team needed to add him to the active roster, or else they would lose the claim. Nix batted .133 for the Pirates and Phillies this season. He also spent time in Tampa Bay’s organization.

Nix serves as added depth for September. The organization still view Colon as their primary backup infielder. He started at second base all week as Omar Infante nursed a sore shoulder.

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Colon, the No. 4 pick in the 2010 draft, made his big-league debut this season, and impressed team officials with his versatility. His hitting has been useful, too: Colon is batting .302/.348/.442 in 19 games.